Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chip promises 240 FPS 'console-defying' gaming

A pictore of person holding a smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC

In addition to the Snapdragon X Elite chip for Windows PC, Qualcomm unveiled its latest mobile-focused flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It focuses on improving gaming, bringing generative AI to flagship Android smartphones, "premium-level" performance, and more.

The Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform delivers premium-level performance across all your mobile experiences. Achieve newfound creativity using generative AI, intelligently capture one-of-a-kind content, get lost in console-defying 240 FPS mobile gaming, or jam out to boundless studio-quality lossless audio—all backed by the world’s fastest mobile connectivity. Possibilities, ignited.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a 64-bit, 8-core processor, with one prime core reaching up to 3.3GHz, five performance cores at up to 3.2GHz, and two efficiency cores operating at 2.3GHz for less-demanding tasks. Qualcomm says the new SoC delivers 30% better CPU performance and up to 20% better energy efficiency. As for RAM, the max amount now reaches 24GB.

On the GPU side, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 outputs 25% better performance and efficiency, plus a 40% increase in ray tracing. These CPU and GPU improvements result in the platform capable of delivering up to 240FPS gaming and up to 8K upscaling on external monitors. In addition, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can generate frames for higher-quality scenes and double the frame rate without spikes in power consumption. It is also the first mobile platform to support Unreal Engine 5 Lumen global illumination and reflections.

A picture of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 graphics

Besides raw CPU and GPU horsepower, Qualcomm is making a big push into generative AI. The Qualcomm AI engine supports multi-modal generative AI models and on-device calculations for fast text, voice, and image input and processing. The built-in neural processor unit (NPU) boasts up to 98% better performance and up to 40% improved performance-per-watt ratio.

AI and image signal processor (ISP) improvements deliver advanced camera features, such as Video Object Eraser or Photo Expansion. The SoC can also place cryptographic seals to prove that your photos are real and not AI-generated.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also has a built-in Snapdragon X75 modem with advanced 5G support, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4.

A picture showing changes and new features in the Snadpragon 8 Gen 3 SoC

Qualcomm says its newest mobile SoC will be available in smartphones from ASUS, Honor, iQOO, MEIZU, NIO, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, realme, Redmi, RedMagic, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE.